CAA Notebook

JAMES MADISON (3-2, 11-6) has a three-game winning streak in the CAA for the first time since 2002-03. First-year coach Matt Brady said that's created a little bit of a buzz among JMU fans starved for basketball success, but he's not putting much stock in it.

The Dukes haven't had a winning season since finishing 20-9 in 1999-2000.

"The three-game winning streak, if you want to call it that, is something that is really enjoyed more by our grads who have followed the program through the years," he said. "I think our players, especially our seniors, have not enjoyed a lot of success. They're really pleased and happy with where they are. I think there's a fine line with getting caught up with a three-game winning streak. I don't think that's something to be overly excited about.

"You hope that your younger guys come to expect that this is the way it should be. In a league like this, you never know when your next win is going to come."

GEORGE MASON -- Surgery to remove a bone spur from a toe shelved big Darryl Monroe last season. And that left George Mason coach Jim Larranaga wondering if his 6-7, 275-pound senior forward would be able to tow more of the load this season.

He's answered that question with three straight double-doubles. The Virginia Beach native averaged 15 points and 11.7 rebounds in three wins last week and was named one of the CAA's players of the week.

Monroe is averaging 10.4 points overall, is second in the conference in rebounding (8.9) and is first in field-goal percentage (64.6).

Larranaga said he talked to Monroe about assuming more of the scoring responsibility in the absence of departed all-CAA forward Will Thomas.

"I was very, very concerned to start this season whether he'd be able to do that," Larranaga said. "It's a little against his nature to look to score. He sees himself as the kind of payer who can really find the open man. Oftentimes, you just don't want to go to him, go to him, go to him, because he's likely to fall into the pattern of just passing the ball.

"During the last 3-4 weeks, he's started to look for his scoring opportunities. It's made him a much tougher player to defend against, both as a scorer and a passer. And he's been rebounding extremely well at both ends of the court."

LARRANAGA, on Mason matching its best start (5-0, 12-3) in the CAA:

"The schedule has kind of favored us a little bit. We've had a pretty good balance of home and away games. Our guys have been pretty well rested. We're going into a pretty tough stretch of our schedule of the first round of games this week and next week. As the season progresses, everything gets a little bit tougher."

The Patriots play William and Mary and James Madison this week, then go to Northeastern (5-0) and VCU (4-1) next week.

WILLIAM AND MARY coach Tony Shaver would like for Danny Sumner and others to stop pressing.

Sumner, a 6-7 junior forward, is shooting 25 percent (13 of 52) in his past five games. He's still shooting 42 percent overall and averaging a team-leading 15.9 points for the Tribe (1-4, 6-9).

"The thing we're trying to stress to Danny, and to all of our players, is if the ball's not going in the hole for you, there's so many other ways you can help us win," Shaver said. "Rebounding the ball, being even better than normal defensively. Danny's a great young guy who wants to learn.

"I think people simply feel if you stop Danny Sumner and David Schneider right now, you beat William and Mary. We have to strive to find that balance."

The Tribe made 16 of 22 shots (72.7 percent) in the second half of a 73-59 win over UNC Wilmington. Said Shaver: "The thing we need our team to understand and realize is that's probably the most patient half we've played. We showed more discipline and patience in that 20 minutes than we have all year long. As a result we scored more points.

"Young guys think discipline and patience means we're trying to milk the clock and win a game 22-20. For us, it's a very important characteristic to have in our ballclub. It's one of the most explosive halves we've had. Good lesson to learn for our guys."

OLD DOMINION's 6-10 junior forward, Gerald Lee, is averaging 15.1 points and shooting 59.4 percent and not taking enough shots in the mind of Monarchs coach Blaine Taylor.

"He's more of a pass-first, make-the-smart-play kind of guy," Taylor said. "I like that about him. But he does have to understand he is a good player, and sometimes there are plays to be made that he needs to soak up and embrace. The international kids sometimes comes very polished, depending on what country they come from. From Finland, he wasn't exposed to as much as maybe some others.

"This year, he's been a consistent performer, but I think there's more in the tank."

HOFSTRA coach Tom Pecora is not a fan of playing four conference games in eight days to start January. The CAA does that to make room for its BracketBusters games in February and because the conference tournament is played in the first week of March, a week earlier than most conference tournaments.

Pecora suggested spacing the games by moving one game to New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, taking a few days off and then playing three games the next week.

"I think it's something we've really got to address," he said.

VCU coach Anthony Grant was concerned about some of the hard fouls by Hofstra down the stretch on Saturday. On one, Tony Dennison slammed into Larry Sanders as Sanders drove to the basket on a breakaway, sending both sprawling into a cameraman. Sanders said he told Dennison it was a good foul, but Grant wasn't happy.

Said Grant: "I'm always concerned about the welfare of our players. We're thin as it is. Anytime I think there's some unnecessary contact, I'm going to get concerned about it. The officials had control of the game. I thought it was a couple of unfortunate incidents there. I've got a lot of respect for Tom and his team. They play hard. I'm just happy that we were able to get everybody out of the game."

Said Pecora: "I was actually [mad] at my guy [Dennison] for not stepping in. I wanted him to take a charge. He went by and tried to rip the ball. Look, guys are going to compete hard. It wasn't called a flagrant foul. They play as hard as anyone in the league. So do we. We're all big boys.

"Anthony and I are very good friends. I have great respect for him. We didn't discuss it. When you watch CAA basketball as the year goes on, those things are going to happen. You take the ball to the rim, you pay the price."

NORTHEASTERN is 5-0 (10-5 overall) for the first time in the CAA. Part of that has coincided with a resurgence by forward Manny Adako.

The 6-8 junior has hit 38 of 51 shots (74.5 percent) in the past five games.

"We look at it like Manny has gotten back to himself," Northeastern coach Bill Coen said. "He's always been a very efficient player for us. Early in the year, he played unlike himself and didn't get into a rhythm. Now he's gotten into a little bit of a rhythm. He's able to score the ball around the basket and also make some perimeter shots for us.

"He's made a huge different for us in terms of settling everybody else down. We all know once you can play inside-out basketball and establish a post presence, your perimeter players can relax a little bit and make shots."

Coen, on how his team is handling being atop the league: "Pretty level-headed group. They're very matter of fact about it. They're going about it in a businesslike fashion. Not too high, not too low, because they know it's a long journey, and it's very early in the season."

DELAWARE started the four-game stretch with an eye-opening victory over VCU, then inexplicably lost its next three, including a shocking 75-72 loss to UNC Wilmington (1-4, 4-13).

Coach Monte Ross says he can explain it: turnovers. The Blue Hens had 54 in the three games.

Delaware (1-4, 7-10) had a three-point lead over UNCW with a little over a minute left and committed three turnovers.

"I don't think we got drunk off success," Ross said. "That's one of the things, believe it or not, I'm happy about. . . . It's been a lack of concentration for a full 40 minutes. It's just been little careless things that can't happen if you're going to win games in this league because this league is so difficult. It's really been us."

DREXEL coach Bruiser Flint, whose team is shooting a conference-worst 35.2 percent: "I've always felt our team is taking good shots. We just don't make 'em."